reminded us. “So, if ye’ve covered the finer points, I’ll be taking me team away for a meeting.”
The tournament rules allowed us to pick our own teams and apparently the witch pack was staying together. They would be a tough group. My own friend group was teaming up with the exception of T.J., who had been aggressively recruited by the werewoves. Following the witch pack lead, we adjorned to Caeco and Jetta’s room for a strategy session before heading off to sleep. Parents and guests would begin arriving Thursday morning, with the bulk of them here on Friday and Saturday. Things were about to get hectic.
Chapter 32
Thursday was the first morning of the week that I could actually sleep in. The first three days were all nine a.m. presentations. But Thursday was parent and guest arrival day, with nothing much until about noon. I made it to nine- thirty.
Any college kid worth their salt can easily lay comatose till at least noon, often one or two p.m. Myself, not to brag or anything, but my personal best was three in the afternoon one Saturday in February. What can I say; we’re up till all hours either studying, writing never-ending papers or, if it’s a weekend, blowing off steam. So I should have made eleven at the least.
Instead, I tossed and turned from seven-thirty on. Even my stomach rumbled, turning traitor against our solemn sleep pact. So after lying in bed for two hours, unable to return to blissful sleep, I got up, pulling on yesterday’s jeans and long-sleeved t-shirt. Then I stumbled downstairs to feed my traitorous belly.
To add insult to injury, I was like the only student in the dining room. Oh, there were a couple of kids who nodded to me, but they were the super serious studyholics who lived and breathed the academic life. They wouldn’t know a good party if it snuck up, chomped onto a leg, and death rolled them.
I ordered a cheddar, ham, spinach, and mushroom omelet from the breakfast chef and drank chocolate milk. As I dipped into the fluffy mix of cheesy heaven, my determination reared up and demanded I go back to bed after my fast was broken.
Plate clean, belly full, I dropped off my dishes and headed out the door only to collide with a green-eyed armful of Irish witch.
“Oh Declan, jest run me down, why don’t ya!” she said, although her smirk was warm enough to tell me she wasn’t unduly ruffled.
“Sorry, Ry. Got a date with my bed and some righteous shut-eye,” I said after we untangled a bit.
“Listen, before ye head off to count yer sheep or molest them or whatever pervy thing you lads do in yer dreams, I need to talk to ye for jest a bit,” she said.
“But Ryanne, I should be sleeping,” I protested mildly. She just looked at me with those Galway eyes and my will crumbled. “Alright, but can we be quick? You’re cutting into my Z time.”
“Come on, ye lump,” she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the front doors, past the guards, and into the sunny parking lot. “This way, if ye pitch a fit, yer less likely to break the building or anything.”
It was already warm, at least for a day in early March in northern Vermont. Maybe almost thirty, and the sun was a bright prelude to the forthcoming Spring.
The parking lot was empty of people; just a handful of cars were scattered about. She stopped and turned around to face me, taking a deep breath like whatever she had to say was really serious.
“Why would I pitch a fit? Are you breaking up with me? Go ahead then, I can take it,” I joked.
“Ye fecking moron. Have ye got yer girls confused, then? Do I look like the test tube terror who yer going out with? This is serious and when I’m done, yer like to be put out with me,” she said, grabbing my shoulder and shaking it.
“Go ahead. I’m all ears.”
“Ears, long hair, and skinny legs,” she said.
“Hey, my legs aren’t skinny… just lean,” I protested.
“Listen mate, here’s the thing,” she said, somehow brushing aside my witty banter. “My family is arriving today from Ireland. Me mum and da and all me terrible sisters.”
“That’s awesome, Ryanne. I’m looking forward to your show,” I said.
“We’re opening act on Saturday night, but that’s not what I want to tell you. See, my parents are bringing guests. Official circle guests. It was a major request,